Improvement in movable partitions



D. J. WILLIAMS. MOVABLE PARTITION.

No. 113,476. PatentedApr; 4, 187] QR-P N a jfi L |L 7W Tm Q J WN a Wallideal "Grit-[line DOUGLAS JOSEPH .WILLIAMS, OF BIRMINGHAM. ENGLAND.

Letters Patent No. 113,476, dated April 4, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT m MOVABLE PARTITION-S.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DOUGLAS Josnrn Wummns, of Birmingham, England, haveinvented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in MovablePartitions, Wide Doors, and Shutters for Buildings; and. I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, true, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing-that is to say-My invention has for its object an improved method of carrying orsuspending the parts or divisions composing a movable partition, widedoor, orshutter; and

consists in suspending-each of the said parts or divi- 810118 from across-head, which is carried by two rollersrolling on horizontal barsfixed above the said movable partition, wide door, or shutter, by meansof a swivel or any equivalent mechanism, so that each of said parts ordivisions may be turned at right angles, or any suitable angles, to thesaid'bars. V

The swivel arrangement consists of an upright spindle, which protrudesabove the cross-head before named, and also below the bottom of theparts or divisions. The saidupright spindle works freely in thecross-head at the top, and is carried from it by means of a collar onthe spindle. The said spindle isprovided with a spur-pinion, top andbottom, which work in horizontal racks, and thus keeps the said part ordivision perpendicular in the direction of the said movable partition,wide door, or shutter. Thc pinion, at the bottom of the said part ordivision, is kept in gear with the rack by the side of a groove, whichwill be hereinafter referred to, and the pinion at the top is kept ingear with its rack by the rollers before named. The said part ordivision is carried by a'collar on the upright spindlc,'a11d is allowedto turn fi'ccly on the said collar and round the said upright spindle.

The said bars, rollers, and piuions may be concealed, when required, bya wood casing, molded cornice, or whatever may be in keeping with thepeculiar architecture of the building to which the said novablepartition, wide door, or shutter is applied. The lower ends of theupright spindle may work through a groove in the door, running parallelto the bars at the top, the pinions and rack working under the fioor oneside of the said groove, thus keeping the pinions in gear with the rack;or above the floor, when required, by reason of there being a carpet orother floor covering imn1ediatel y under the partition, wide door, orshutter, (or from any other cause,) where they may be concealed in, andthe rack fixed to a hollow wood-sill, which may be either removedaltogether, or may be divided in the middle and hinged near each end,for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. The sill is provided with agroove, which will answer the same purpose as it' it were formed in thefloor.

The said parts or divisions being turned at right venient.

vVhen desirable, a recess may be formed in one or each wall or side ofthe opening, to receive the said parts or divisions; or a casing, havingthe appearance of a pilastcr, or otherwise, may be constructed againstone or each wall or side of the opening; but in schoolrooms and certainother buildings, a recess or casing may be dispensed with, the frontpar-t or division being fastened so as to keep the remainder as placed.The sill, before referred to, is hinged, in order that it may be raisedup against the parts or divisions when they are pushed fiat against thewall or into the recess or casing:

"hen closed the said parts or divisions may b fastened together by meansof bolts, and they may;

be constructed with rabbets, dowels, or otherwise, so that one of thesaiilparts or divisions forms a key, which, being fastened, fastens allthe rest, or by any suit-able means so used for ordinary shopwindowshutters, or by any convenient method.

By the above arrangement the opening and closing of movable partitions,wide doors, and shutters for buildings is facilitated, and spaceisgainedl where the said arrangementis substituted for the wide hingeddoors now in use.

-Where the word building occurs in this specification, unless otherwiseexplained in the particular occurrence, it is used as applying to shipsand other structures, as well as to buildings more commonly so called.

Having thus stated the nature of the said invention, I now proceed moreparticularly to describe the manner of performing the. same with,reference to the accompanying drawing.

Description of the Drawing Figure l is a vertical sectionthrough one ofthe saidpartsor divisions, the end only being shown for convenience.

A A are two rollers rolling on the bars B B.

U is a cross-head carried by the rollers A A.

J) is the upright spindle, having a collar, E, by which it is carriedfrom the cross-head O, and a collar, E, at itslower extremity, uponwhich the journal I, which is fixed in the said part or division bears.

A journal, G, is-alsoshown at thetop of thesaid part or division. Y

' A pinidn, H, working in a rack, K, is shown at the top and bottom ofthe upright spindle D. The bottom pinion and rack are shown, in thiscase, below the floor. Thesaid rack is fastened to the floor OI joist,and the pinion kept in gear with it by the side of the groove in thefloor, which is lined with hoop- HOll.

\Vhen the bottom pinion and rack are required to be above the floor,(for reasons before stated,) the boardsL L would represent the top of aboxed sill, which would be on the floor. The top rack is shown fixed tothe side timber.

Fignre'2 is a front elevation of the arrangment at the top of the saidpart or division shown in side el-' ovation in fig. 1.

Figures 3 and 4 are, respectively, an elevation and plan of a generalarrangement oi the parts or divisions composing a movable partition fora building as required for the application of my invention.

A-hinged sill is shown, which carries the rack for the bottom pinion.

The arrangement of the parts or divisions composing shutters forbuildings is of a similar nature to those just. described for movablepartitions; but

t ers Patent, is-- 1.- the upright spindle D, forming a swivel in thepart or division,-and used in conjunction with the cross-head O, whichis carried by the rollers AA, rolling on the bars B B, substantially asand for the purpose herein described and shown in the drawing.

2. In combination with the said upright spindle D, the pinions H H andthe racks K 1\'., substantially as and for the purpose described andshown.

In witness whereof I, the said DoUGn'As Josni-u \VILLIAMS, have hereuntoset my hand this 13th day of April, A. D. 1870.

DOUGLAS JOSEPH WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

STEPHEN WATKINS, WALTER H. PERKS.

